Rare Phenomenon Taking World by Storm, 'Ghost Apples' Formed by Wind and Ice
With America’s midwestern states experiencing a particularly icy and cold winter, an unusual and rare weather phenomenon is taking place.
In the aptly named Fruit Ridge region of Kent County, Michigan, the freezing rain is creating a fruit formation called “ghost apples,” according to WOTV.
Andres Sietsema told WOTV he came across the ice formations while pruning his apple trees.
He captured the rare sight with a series of photos that are almost hard to believe until you see it.
These hollowed out ice apples are caused by freezing rain coating the rotting apples, Sietsema told WOTV. This creates a solid icy shell around the apples that looks just like a real apple — except it’s not red or green.
The temperature of the air combined with the freezing rain creates the perfect condition for these “ghost apples” to form.
As Sietsema went about trimming his apple trees, the “ghost apples” would fall to the ground.
The rotten apple part would then slip out of the ice formation, leaving a casing of ice that looks like a “ghost apple.”
The rare occurrence allowed for the ice to remain intact but was warm enough for the apples to mush up and fall out of the bottom of the ice formation, Sietsema told WOTV.
Apples have a lower freezing temperature than water so the “ghost apples” can form with hardly any trouble.
The “ghost apples” also come in different varieties. Sietsema told WOTV that the Jonagolds are one of his favorite type of apples.
“We’ll call these Jonaghosts,” he joked.
“Ghost apples” are a real thing. We just suggest that you don’t try to take a bite out them.
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